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This x100, I wrote a similar message on a WebXR forum. They've started and stopped so many times it's hard to take this effort seriously. Is this just exec FOMO

by kfarr 2y ago

This x100, I wrote a similar message on a WebXR forum. They've started and stopped so many times it's hard to take this effort seriously. Is this just exec FOMO trying to catchup to Apple and Meta? Or do they really believe in this? I don't think it's the latter.

radicaldreamer 2y ago
[flagged]
- georgeecollins 2y ago
  Which is why you would have to be insane to develop software for them. Twice in my career I have been involved in development projects for Google hardware (wear and daydream). Never again.
  - zx8080 2y ago
    Why exactly was the promotion motivation bad?
    - johannes1234321 2y ago
      The risk/assumption is that once the lead developer/PM/etc. got their promotion l, they get for doing something "new" this is being dropped for a new project as maintenance brings less points for promotions.
      - 8n4vidtmkvmk 2y ago
        Not less points, zero points.
    - fnfjfk 2y ago
      They're complaining about developing software for Google platforms, not working at Google. The platform will get dropped because it no longer has the opportunity to fuel more L6 promos. I think the obvious notable exception is Android, which is not going anywhere and which now has a fairly delightful development experience with Kotlin and Compose.
      - pjmlp 2y ago
        I wouldn't call it delightful, but that is as it is. Kotlin folks have prevented Java support on purpose, only to be forced to update Java support, as Android slowly started to be frozen in time, thus Kotlin losing one of its selling points, Java compatibility, with everyone on JVM world moving beyond Java 8. Go check any recent Android conference, and most likely there will be a few talks related to Compose performance and gotchas.
  - fidotron 2y ago
    Yeah, their ability to burn goodwill with the people closest to them is unparalleled. I guess they know there will always be someone else to fill the void, but certainly by the time of GearVR and later Stadia the whole games industry was wise to allowing any of FAANG near the crown jewels, which is a major factor in why software support for VR has been so unenthusiastic. This was not helped by Oculus hiring the old Scaleform execs who had just pissed off half the universe.
onlyrealcuzzo 2y ago
> Is this just exec FOMO trying to catchup to Apple and Meta? Google doesn't work like this. People can almost autonomously spawn up small projects. If it looks promising they keep getting more resources until it either has explosive growth and profits or someone higher in the chain thinks there isn't a current viable path for THAT version of the project to profitablity. Google might believe in XR and keep funding these small projects, but if none of them display evidence that that particular approach is going to be huge, then they move on. It's not top down. Sundar doesn't say, we need more XR. Team, go find me the most promising options, and then we'll fund it to the moon. And then a month later he gets bored and says, no, never mind, kill that. Let's chase another hype bubble. Only to then months later come back and say, team, we need more XR!
- skeeter2020 2y ago
  >> If it looks promising they keep getting more resources until it either has explosive growth and profits or someone higher in the chain thinks This may be the case, but everything eventually gets compared to the ad business, and the projected financials, no matter how optimistic, look terrible. Then the team leading the initiative wises up and drops it, gets tasked with something else or frustrated and those people leave.
- brickfaced 2y ago
  >Sundar doesn't say, we need more XR. Right, that's the job of some random PM who will launch a half-baked XR project that overlaps with a nearly identical XR project down the hall, which will compete with its fellow Google project/product in the marketplace and confuse customers before getting killed within 18 months of launch. See also Google Wallet and Google Wallet (yes), Allo and Duo and GChat and Hangouts, and so on.
  - stephenr 2y ago
    > See also Google Wallet and Google Wallet (yes) ... wat? Are you suggesting Google has two different services both called Google wallet?

by kfarr 2y ago

radicaldreamer 2y ago

[flagged]

georgeecollins 2y ago
Which is why you would have to be insane to develop software for them. Twice in my career I have been involved in development projects for Google hardware (wear and daydream). Never again.
- zx8080 2y ago
  Why exactly was the promotion motivation bad?
  - johannes1234321 2y ago
    The risk/assumption is that once the lead developer/PM/etc. got their promotion l, they get for doing something "new" this is being dropped for a new project as maintenance brings less points for promotions.
    - 8n4vidtmkvmk 2y ago
      Not less points, zero points.
  - fnfjfk 2y ago
    They're complaining about developing software for Google platforms, not working at Google. The platform will get dropped because it no longer has the opportunity to fuel more L6 promos. I think the obvious notable exception is Android, which is not going anywhere and which now has a fairly delightful development experience with Kotlin and Compose.
    - pjmlp 2y ago
      I wouldn't call it delightful, but that is as it is. Kotlin folks have prevented Java support on purpose, only to be forced to update Java support, as Android slowly started to be frozen in time, thus Kotlin losing one of its selling points, Java compatibility, with everyone on JVM world moving beyond Java 8. Go check any recent Android conference, and most likely there will be a few talks related to Compose performance and gotchas.
- fidotron 2y ago
  Yeah, their ability to burn goodwill with the people closest to them is unparalleled. I guess they know there will always be someone else to fill the void, but certainly by the time of GearVR and later Stadia the whole games industry was wise to allowing any of FAANG near the crown jewels, which is a major factor in why software support for VR has been so unenthusiastic. This was not helped by Oculus hiring the old Scaleform execs who had just pissed off half the universe.

onlyrealcuzzo 2y ago

> Is this just exec FOMO trying to catchup to Apple and Meta? Google doesn't work like this. People can almost autonomously spawn up small projects. If it looks promising they keep getting more resources until it either has explosive growth and profits or someone higher in the chain thinks there isn't a current viable path for THAT version of the project to profitablity. Google might believe in XR and keep funding these small projects, but if none of them display evidence that that particular approach is going to be huge, then they move on. It's not top down. Sundar doesn't say, we need more XR. Team, go find me the most promising options, and then we'll fund it to the moon. And then a month later he gets bored and says, no, never mind, kill that. Let's chase another hype bubble. Only to then months later come back and say, team, we need more XR!

skeeter2020 2y ago
>> If it looks promising they keep getting more resources until it either has explosive growth and profits or someone higher in the chain thinks This may be the case, but everything eventually gets compared to the ad business, and the projected financials, no matter how optimistic, look terrible. Then the team leading the initiative wises up and drops it, gets tasked with something else or frustrated and those people leave.
brickfaced 2y ago
>Sundar doesn't say, we need more XR. Right, that's the job of some random PM who will launch a half-baked XR project that overlaps with a nearly identical XR project down the hall, which will compete with its fellow Google project/product in the marketplace and confuse customers before getting killed within 18 months of launch. See also Google Wallet and Google Wallet (yes), Allo and Duo and GChat and Hangouts, and so on.
- stephenr 2y ago
  > See also Google Wallet and Google Wallet (yes) ... wat? Are you suggesting Google has two different services both called Google wallet?